Toaster oven or panini press?
October 21, 2014 8:48 PM Subscribe
Our toaster oven is about to die, and we're considering replacing it with a panini press. We use the toaster oven for: toast, bagels, sausages, baking microwaved potatoes, mostly for single people meals when we don't want to heat up the big oven. We grill in the oven or a cast-iron grill pan but the press looks like it'd be better. We're concerned about ease of cleaning (we don't clean our toaster except to replace the foil lining when it gets gah) and whether it can make regular toast and baked potatoes. Small kitchen so we don't want to get both. Advice?
I would roll with a toaster oven, but it has to be the RIGHT toaster oven. I feed a family of 5 using a large toaster oven like this one which can do a 12 inch pizza, pie and 8"x8" cake pans. The interiors can be a pain to clean BUT it is the most flexible item. I have a paninni press and I get way more use from the toaster oven, which can actually cook a split whole chicken just fine. The one thing I suggest is positioning the toaster oven near your vent system since high temp chicken causes a great deal of smoke.
posted by jadepearl at 9:07 PM on October 21, 2014
posted by jadepearl at 9:07 PM on October 21, 2014
They're really such different appliances. I'm not sure I understand your trading one for the other. None of the things you do with the toaster oven are things you can do with the panini press - but maybe that's your idea - to try something new. If it helps, I had a George Foreman grill at one point - it wanted to be a panini press. It was great for sandwiches and for "grilling" chicken breasts. But I love my toaster oven, and will always find room in my kitchen for it.
posted by hydra77 at 9:08 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by hydra77 at 9:08 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]
Yeah, toaster oven is more versatile. You can press sandwiches in the cast iron grill pan.
posted by ottereroticist at 9:08 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by ottereroticist at 9:08 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]
Best answer: You can still make thes panini without the dedicated appliance; the toaster over isn't as easily replaced.
One word on panini grills: I have an older, larger model that is fantastic, but the plates aren't removable and its a PITA to clean. I never use it. I have tried two smaller models with removable plates and found they didn't perform nearly as well. I gave away the first one and will be giving away the second one in a few days. I keep the larger one because I might have a bigger kitchen one day. I'd get a good toaster oven and grill sandwiches in the pan. Use a weight of some kind to press down the sandwich -- you can wrap a brick in foil or buy a dedicated press or use a full tea kettle or something.
posted by Room 641-A at 9:19 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
One word on panini grills: I have an older, larger model that is fantastic, but the plates aren't removable and its a PITA to clean. I never use it. I have tried two smaller models with removable plates and found they didn't perform nearly as well. I gave away the first one and will be giving away the second one in a few days. I keep the larger one because I might have a bigger kitchen one day. I'd get a good toaster oven and grill sandwiches in the pan. Use a weight of some kind to press down the sandwich -- you can wrap a brick in foil or buy a dedicated press or use a full tea kettle or something.
posted by Room 641-A at 9:19 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
I agree that they are different tools, but with some overlap. One can do more with a Panini Maker than one might think - particularly if you add the technique of wrapping otherwise messy stuff in foil before placing on the Panini Maker. (Search Pinterest for "Panini Maker" for lots of creative ideas.)
I also think the lifespan of the two appliances are different. Toaster Ovens seem to have damnably short life spans.
posted by spock at 9:28 PM on October 21, 2014
I also think the lifespan of the two appliances are different. Toaster Ovens seem to have damnably short life spans.
posted by spock at 9:28 PM on October 21, 2014
I've had both, I'll take the toaster. The reality is the press isn't much different than heating something in a nonstick pan.
posted by doctor_negative at 9:32 PM on October 21, 2014
posted by doctor_negative at 9:32 PM on October 21, 2014
This toaster-oven was hands-down the best purchase for my small kitchen. It's pricey but worth every penny. If you use a coupon, you can get it with a 20% discount at BB&beyond.
posted by lois1950 at 9:51 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by lois1950 at 9:51 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
I sometimes stay at a place that has the toaster oven that lois1950 linked to and I agree: best toaster I've ever used and I am picky about my toast.
posted by jessamyn at 9:53 PM on October 21, 2014
posted by jessamyn at 9:53 PM on October 21, 2014
Response by poster: Can you make regular toast with a panini press? Or only grilled toast? No-one seems to answer this online.
We're very happy with our oven for dinner and baking - large family, so I don't need a highly capable toaster oven, only something simple for my solitary lunch and toast. My husband bakes our bread so a toaster with slots doesn't work as well with thick homemade slices.
The Breville oven isn't AFAIK available in Singapore. We like the idea of making waffles, panini style sandwiches and grilling meat, if we can also make toast. Already, this is stacked on my microwave - like New York style tiny kitchen.
posted by viggorlijah at 10:03 PM on October 21, 2014
We're very happy with our oven for dinner and baking - large family, so I don't need a highly capable toaster oven, only something simple for my solitary lunch and toast. My husband bakes our bread so a toaster with slots doesn't work as well with thick homemade slices.
The Breville oven isn't AFAIK available in Singapore. We like the idea of making waffles, panini style sandwiches and grilling meat, if we can also make toast. Already, this is stacked on my microwave - like New York style tiny kitchen.
posted by viggorlijah at 10:03 PM on October 21, 2014
I make toast in a sandwich press. Mine is flat, not ridged. It makes it faster and denser. I love it.
posted by taff at 10:40 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by taff at 10:40 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
The one lois1950 linked is the best appliance I've ever owned. Seconding it for posterity, though it looks like for you it's not an option.
posted by kcm at 10:52 PM on October 21, 2014
posted by kcm at 10:52 PM on October 21, 2014
I have the griddler panini press, which has removable double-sided plates, one griddle one grill. I assume you could make regular toast on the grill side. Sausages definitely work, I'm not sure about potatoes. You can buy waffle plates as well. (Mine stacks on my toaster; I would dump the microwave first.)
posted by jeather at 4:53 AM on October 22, 2014
posted by jeather at 4:53 AM on October 22, 2014
If you're toasting thick slices of homemade bread, you could probably make "regular" toast with a panini press. I'm taking "regular" to mean browned evenly, instead of crunchy bread with grill marks. My concern would be timing - I suspect it would take longer to toast bread on a panini press. Another difference is that the toaster oven turns itself off, whereas with the panini maker you have to keep checking.
I don't think baked potatoes would work on a panini press because there isn't enough heat around the whole potato.
I have both. If I had to give up one I would toss the George Foreman without a second thought, but we use our toaster oven all the time to heat up leftovers. Also our George Foreman doesn't have removable plates which makes it a real PITA to clean. So if you do buy a panini press/George Foreman, make sure you get one with removable plates.
posted by lyssabee at 5:26 AM on October 22, 2014
I don't think baked potatoes would work on a panini press because there isn't enough heat around the whole potato.
I have both. If I had to give up one I would toss the George Foreman without a second thought, but we use our toaster oven all the time to heat up leftovers. Also our George Foreman doesn't have removable plates which makes it a real PITA to clean. So if you do buy a panini press/George Foreman, make sure you get one with removable plates.
posted by lyssabee at 5:26 AM on October 22, 2014
How would you even make toast in a panini press? The definition of toast is that you hold a piece of bread NEAR a heat source, letting the hot air heat the edge of the bread until it turns light brown. A panini press would put the hot grill surface right ON the bread, and the weight of the pan would then squish the bread. So even if you didn't put grease on the pan or the bread, it still wouldn't cook with air - it would be dry grilled bread, not toast. "Denser" is not a word that one usually uses to describe toast. I bet you could try it out by heating a frying pan and put a slice of dry bread in it. Press it firmly down to imitate the weight of the press and turn it over when it's golden brown. If you like that, then yes, you can make "toast" in a panini press.
Also, potatoes are not flat.
posted by CathyG at 5:32 AM on October 22, 2014 [3 favorites]
Also, potatoes are not flat.
posted by CathyG at 5:32 AM on October 22, 2014 [3 favorites]
The definition of toast is that you hold a piece of bread NEAR a heat source, letting the hot air heat the edge of the bread until it turns light brown. A panini press would put the hot grill surface right ON the bread, and the weight of the pan would then squish the bread.
I assume the OP means making toast while the lid is locked in the horizontal "no smash" setting, like this. It's a common (but not universal) option on many presses. Both mine had it, but again I don't think the removable plate versions get hot enough to make this a practical method for toast, even if you want toast made that way.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:01 AM on October 22, 2014
I assume the OP means making toast while the lid is locked in the horizontal "no smash" setting, like this. It's a common (but not universal) option on many presses. Both mine had it, but again I don't think the removable plate versions get hot enough to make this a practical method for toast, even if you want toast made that way.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:01 AM on October 22, 2014
Before your update, I'd have said Breville convection oven (best appliance ever), but with your update I'd say get a Breville Panini press. The plates are removable an you can buy flat plates too, which might work for your toasting needs. Removable plates are a must.
I purchased the Cuisinart Griddler but returned it because it was so flimsily built that the hinge broke during its first use.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 6:14 AM on October 22, 2014
I purchased the Cuisinart Griddler but returned it because it was so flimsily built that the hinge broke during its first use.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 6:14 AM on October 22, 2014
Best answer: I have a panini press (I'm nearly certain it's the Breiville) and I bake a lot and it toasts fine. I have sometimes run into the squishing problem on the occasions where I used store bought, soft sandwich bread for toasting --- bread too thin to touch the pan on both sides if you ratchet it to the lowest setting, but it gets squished if you just let it press down freely. Squishing has not been an issue with my heartier home-made bread. Uneven toasting has been an issue if you cut your slices unevenly. But I'm not super picky about even toasty-ness, and value having the ability to quickly grill small amounts of food. Mine cleans up easily --- non stick coating's held up well, and grease and drippings come up easily.
posted by Diablevert at 2:17 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by Diablevert at 2:17 PM on October 23, 2014
Response by poster: We stayed at a hotel that panini-pressed almost everything bread-related, and that has firmly cured me of my panini interest. My husband figured out how to make a grilled cheese that's squashed with our current cast-iron cookware, and we're planning on a traditional toaster that can handle bagels because we haven't missed the toaster oven either.
posted by viggorlijah at 7:50 PM on December 15, 2014
posted by viggorlijah at 7:50 PM on December 15, 2014
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posted by jessamyn at 8:52 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]